Edited by Leslie Van Zwol and Megan Fennell

Night is practically another world. Owls and bats steal the sky from songbirds, nocturnal creatures thrive under the moonlight, and night-blooming plants flourish away from most human eyes. As the saying goes: people aren’t truly afraid of the dark – they fear what could be in the darkness with them. And the list of legends and stories about the things that go bump in the night is extensive indeed.

Carpe Noctem will be an anthology of stories and poems about darkness, night, and the multitude of things that thrive (or hide) in those elements. We are seeking stories beyond those simply set during the night or in a dark place, and that delve into tales of the nocturnal and – as the title would imply – really seize the night as a critical element of their stories, perhaps even as a character itself.

We are seeking submissions with a focus on characters, narrative, originality, and ‘own voices’.

Although we invite a range of story genres, we will not include pure gore, erotica, or fanfiction. Any submissions found to be using AI-assisted writing, in whole or in part, will be rejected immediately.

We are looking for works from everyone, and warmly welcome submissions from authors of traditionally underrepresented and marginalized communities, including (but certainly not limited to) BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.

For Fiction: $50 CDN flat fee and a paperback contributor copy of the anthology

For Poetry: $20 CDN flat fee and a paperback contributor copy of the anthology

We are seeking first world rights in English and exclusive right to publish in print and electronic format for six months after publication date, after which publisher retains nonexclusive right to continue to publish for the life of the anthology.

Open submission period: November 1 – 30, 2023